Why PCA and genetics are a match made in heaven
Insitome customers and selected populationsThe image above is not the work of a small child trying to sketch out a B-2 Stealth Bomber. Rather, it is a PCA plot, which shows the distribution of a subset of Insitome’s customers who have purchased the Reg…
The Insight Show Notes — Season 2, Episode 3: ANI, ASI, IVC and The Genetics of India
A scene from an ancient Indian epicThis week on The Insight (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play) we discussed how the genetics of 25% of the world’s population, the people of South Asia, came to be. It’s a journey of thousands of years.We cited t…
Podcast on South Asian genetics this week
As some of you know I co-host a podcast on genetics and history with Spencer Wells. The very first podcast we recorded in late June of 2017 was about India, but we were still getting the hang of it to be honest, and we didn’t cover much territory. A lot has happened between then and … Continue reading “Podcast on South Asian genetics this week”
The Insight Show Notes — Season 2, Episode 2: The Greatest Human Journey
This week on The Insight (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play) we touched upon arguably one of the greatest human journeys of humankind, the expansion of the Polynesians across the Pacific.Bishop MuseumSpencer discussed his visit to the Bishop Mus…
Hawaii: complicated a journey to paradise
The extent of Austronesian DiasporaAsk any American what they think when you say the word “Hawaii,” and certain words will no doubt reoccur from person to person. That’s because certain images, feelings, come to mind. A gentle breeze, beaches, and volc…
Season 2, Episode 1: The Legacy of L. L. Cavalli-Sforza
L. L. Cavalli-Sforza, 1922–2018This week on The Insight (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play) we discussed the life and legacy of L. L. Cavalli-Sforza, who died on August 31st, 2018. See the Stanford obit. From John Hawks, The man who tried to cat…
The Munda as upland rice cultivators
I’m reading Ben Keirnan’s Viet Nam: A History from Earliest Times to the Present. I picked it up mostly because over half the book does not consist of the history of the Vietnam War (a major failing I’ve noticed with books which are histories of Vietnam, as opposed to histories of Vietnamese-American relations). The section … Continue reading “The Munda as upland rice cultivators”
Ancient Indian Genetics At ASHG
At ASHG next Monday Niraj Rai will be presenting this poster, Reconstructing the peopling of old world south Asia: From modern to ancient genomes. South Asia was one of the first geographic regions to be peopled by modern humans after their African exodus. Today, the diverse ethnic groups of South Asia comprise an array of … Continue reading “Ancient Indian Genetics At ASHG”
Takeaways from the golden age of Indian population genetics
There are lots of strange takes on the India Today piece, 4500-year-old DNA from Rakhigarhi reveals evidence that will unsettle Hindutva nationalists. I’m friendly with the author and saw an early draft. So I’m going to address a few things. The genetic results are becoming more and more clear. A scaffold is building and becoming … Continue reading “Takeaways from the golden age of Indian population genetics”
Genetics stories in India Today
4500-year-old DNA from Rakhigarhi reveals evidence that will unsettle Hindutva nationalists: The ‘petrous bone’ is an inelegant but useful chunk of the human skull — basically it protects your inner ear. But that’s not all it protects. In recent years, genetic scientists working to extract DNA from ancient skeletons have discovered that, thanks to the … Continue reading “Genetics stories in India Today“
On the genetics of Bengal and Southeast Asia
Over at my other weblog, genetics post some readers might have an interest in. I think in the near future I’ll be talking more about the genetics of Southeast Asians and how they were influenced by Indians. Long story short: there’s a significant Indian genetic impact in many areas of Southeast Asia that can’t be … Continue reading “On the genetics of Bengal and Southeast Asia”
The coming genetic invasion of history, and the rage to come
About ten years ago I reviewed Bryan Sykes’ book Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland. It was what it was, a product of the Y/mtDNA era. Therefore, there were a fair amount of conclusions which in hindsight turn out to be wrong. Sykes, and other genetic historians, such as Stephen […]
The Insight Show Notes: Episode 32, So you want to be a geneticist…
DrosophilaThis week on The Insight (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play) we talk to an “early career” geneticist, Austin Reynolds. A graduate of Indian University and University of Texas-Austin, he is currently a post-doctoral fellow at University…
Genetics is not about “dunking” on Hindu nationalists
I need to weigh in real quick about something I’ve been noticing: geneticists don’t do genetics because they are excited about debunking views promoted by some Hindu nationalists and other Indians of a variety of political stripes. In fact, most non-Indian scientists (as in people who don’t live in India) are not totally savvy to the political … Continue reading “Genetics is not about “dunking” on Hindu nationalists”
Why I don’t accept the para-Munda hypothesis
There has been a discussion of Michael Witzel’s ideas in the comments below. Long familiar with his thesis that a Munda-like language was dominant in the northern Indus valley and in the Gangetic plain, I have also been long skeptical of it. The reason for me is simple: I have leaned to the position that Munda … Continue reading “Why I don’t accept the para-Munda hypothesis”
Rakhigarhi sneak-peaks
Over at my other weblog, noting that the Indian press is finally starting to simply report the substantive contents of the Rakhigarhi results. As we all know the media can distort and misrepresent, so we need to be cautious and wait on the final paper, mostly because with that the authors can speak freely and … Continue reading “Rakhigarhi sneak-peaks”
Ancient pigmentation pathways and modern genomics
Piebald horses emerge out of common pigmentation pathways found in humansUnlike most mammals humans are highly dependent on our sense of sight. This is due to the diurnal nature of many primates. Our ancestors foraged for bright fruit, and so we develo…
The Insight show notes: episode 30, Genetics and educational attainment
This week Razib and Spencer discussed the relationship between educational attainment and genetics on The Insight (Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play) with James Lee, lead author of Gene discovery and polygenic prediction from a genome-wide assoc…
The genetics of education
Yale UniversityIn the modern world, obtaining an education is a rite of passage. Not only does education provide one with skills useful for the modern economy, but it also helps to form one’s values and socializes one with peers who go through the same…
The Insight show notes: Episode 29, The Genetics of China, Han & Beyond
This week Razib and Spencer discussed the genetics and history of China on The Insight (iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play).Chinese history looms large in the podcast, and there are many books one can read on the topic. In particular, John King Fairbank’…